MSIM Students Present Innovation Sprint Mid-Semester Updates

With winter winding down, MS in Innovation and Management (MSIM) students are just beginning to ramp up their ventures. On Tuesday, March 3, the 10 teams went before a panel of six judges to share the progress they have made before getting feedback and recommendations from the seasoned industry professionals.

Innovation Sprints are fast-paced, intense ventures that MSIM candidates work on, modify, explore and even launch as part of their experience in the program. The teams are tackling a variety of sectors from minimally invasive cancer detection technology (healthcare) to reimagining “traditional” bridal and wedding wear (fashion).

Since the teams’ debut in December, some have continued their ventures and others have found new challenges to tackle head-on.

However, one thing is clear: These teams continue to push the limits of traditional thinking and solutions while grappling with problems affecting millions.

Anaïs 

Team members: Lynn Dannan

Offering an alternative to traditional wedding wear, Anaïs is a bridal jumpsuit that is contemporary, effortless and functional. Challenging societal norms and expectations, Anaïs empowers women to make choices best suited for their needs.

“We talked to a lot of women and conducted a lot of surveys to collect this data … women want to wear something functional. The idea of a jumpsuit represents the idea of a modern bride,” said Lynn. “We want to empower women to challenge the industry right now and to think outside of the box and to make decisions that reflect who they are as individuals.”

Cellens

Team members: Srushti Acharekar, Jean Pham, Jonas Pirkl, Fiona Wang

Cellens is a technology platform for non-invasive diagnostics. Applied, it is a bladder cancer screening test that challenges current standards of detection which can often result in pain and a poor patient experience for those battling and recovering from bladder cancer.

Built upon research from the School of Engineering at Tufts University, Cellens boasts lower costs to insurance companies and higher accuracy in detection. The patented technology works by deploying a combination of laboratory techniques and artificial intelligence software.

The group was recently announced as one of just 42 teams worldwide slated to compete at world-renowned Rice University Business Plan Competition. The competition takes place from March 26-28. 

The group is just one of 42 teams worldwide slated to compete at Rice University’s Business Plan Competition.

The team is supported and advised by a group of clinicians, doctors, and mentors.

FoodEase 

Team members: Christina Holman, Earn Khunpinit, Lee Ann Song, Ashton Stephens, Sai Wang

Inspired by the efforts of Jose Andres, a chef who mobilized the private sector in Puerto Rico to combat food insecurity following Hurricane Maria, FoodEase is a solution to facilitate community restoration following natural disasters.

“If one man could gather this much information about where food was and who needed it, and feed an island of 4 million people, imagine what a group of community leaders could do. Our solution hopes to feed the 68 million people affected by natural disaster globally,” said the team. 

FoodEase will begin by identifying corporate and community organizations in disaster-prone areas, specifically hurricanes, and ask them to pledge to share resources in a crisis.

hivy

Team members: Haiting Chan, Ishmal Siddiqui, Vidhya Sivakumar, Yunting Yan

To prepare for standardized testing, test-takers have two typical ways to study: self-paced (such as with a test prep book) or through personal coaching with a tutor. These ways of studying are often impersonal and costly. 

That’s where hivy comes in.

Using a high-tech, neuro-sensing headband developed at Tufts University, hivy is revolutionizing the test-prep industry by providing an adaptive learning experience based on students' brain activity and bio-feedback.

Partible

Team members: George Ginis

Similar to modular housing options, Partible distinguishes itself from the competition with the main material being wood, competing by price and more. According to the team, “the bioclimatic design of the house reduces by 90% the operating costs with the use of solar panels, advanced insulating materials and during its production it has an approximately zero-carbon footprint.”

“The application of this product is limitless. You can use it as a house, you can use it as a hotel, you can use it in offices,” said George.

plASHtic

Team members: Dan Callahan, Nirant Chilimbi, Danielle Franco, Puneet Tripathi

Built on the work of Professor Christopher Swan, an associate professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Tufts University, plASHtic seeks to make Synthetic Lightweight Aggregate (SLA), a composite material made from coal fly ash and low-grade plastic weight a sustainable business. 

Concrete made with SLA has several benefits: increased ductility, slower failure rate, etc. 

SeaDeep

Team members: Alok Chand, Eric Osherow, Will Vinke

Fresh off the heels of a visit to the New England Aquarium (NEAQ), SeaDeep presented their solution to inadequate sonar imaging. SeaDeep is a high-fidelity 3D GIS solution that develops high-resolution maps from video footage. Their visit to the NEAQ was to test out their prototype.

“These partnerships are really to validate the technology,” remarked the group about their visit to NEAQ. According to the group, a future partner could be the Woods Hole Institute.

The group’s goal is to ensure sustainable research and development and provide a deeper understanding of the sea.

Strydr

Team members: Rene Han, Pinar Seven, Mianqiao Wang

For patients looking for leg support, and for disabled people who want to stand and walk comfortably, Strydr provides an affordable and long-lasting exoskeleton technology that offers mobility, strength and activity. 

The Lab Company

Team members: Deepesh Moolchandani, Priyanka Ram

With one single pill dubbed the “Gut Rover,” The Lab Company is looking to help tell you about your gut health and how prone you might be to conditions like celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome.

Tessera Intelligence

Team members: Ashish Kumar, Nikhil Patil, Chandini Tadepalli

Tessera Intelligence aims to develop a suite of artificial-intelligence-based systems that enhance the situational awareness for first responders, armed forces and security personnel. This system can operate indoors, underground and in GPS-denied locations.

Tessera Intelligence has interviewed first-responders and is working on partnerships with other emergency response agencies.